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Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
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Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an American long-range airliner and a member of the Lockheed Constellation family. It was one of the most successful and widely used variants of the Constellation series, and was colloquially referred to as the "Super Connie".
The L-1049 was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner, first flying in 1950. The aircraft was produced for both the United States Navy as the WV / R7V and U.S. Air Force as the C-121 for transport, electronics, and airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Beginning in 1943, the company Lockheed planned stretched variants of the Constellation family. The first was the L-049 with a fuselage lengthened by 13 feet (4.0 meters) and the second the L-749 stretched 18 feet (5.5 meters).
Douglas launched a stretched version of its DC-6 airliner as a cargo transport, designated DC-6A, for both military and civilian operators. Douglas was soon to launch a passenger version (the DC-6B) of this new aircraft. The DC-6B could carry 23 more passengers than Lockheed's current production L-749 Constellation.
In 1950, Lockheed had repurchased the XC-69 Constellation prototype from the Hughes Tool Company. The XC-69 was equipped with four Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines instead of the Wright R-3350s used on production models. Lockheed had installed R-2800s on the prototype to test them as an option for the L-049. Lockheed stretched XC-69 by 18 ft (5.5 m), to become the basis for the L-1049 Super Constellation. The aircraft first flew in 1950, still fitted with R-2800 engines. It was then fitted with R-3350 956-C18CA-1 engines with jet stacks for slightly increased thrust.
Later modifications included strengthened landing gear and larger vertical stabilizers. Eastern Air Lines ordered 10 aircraft, while Trans World Airlines (TWA) followed with an order for 14. The L-1049 had some 550 improvements and modifications compared to the L-749, including greater fuel capacity, rectangular windows, larger cockpit windshields, and improved heating and pressurization.
In 1953, R-3350 Turbo-Compound engines became available for civil use. Lockheed incorporated them into the L-1049C, which first flew on February 17 of that year. The R-3350-972-TC18DA-1 turbo-compound engines on the L-1049C used a new turbine system, the Power Recovery Turbine (PRT) system. Each engine used three Power Recovery Turbines to extract the velocity component of the exhaust stream, rather than relying on exhaust expansion, and return the recovered energy mechanically to the crankshaft, increasing power by 550 hp (410 kW) without increasing fuel consumption and with no appreciable backpressure. One notable effect of the PRT installation was the visible exhaust flame, especially at night, caused by rich high-power operation and the concentrated discharge from the turbine exhaust outlets. Protective shielding and other detail changes were used to prevent heat damage to the nearby structure. The L-1049C had a higher cruising speed and climb rate.
Compared with the DC-6B, the L-1049C offered broadly comparable cruise performance, greater payload capability, and longer published range. The wings of the new model were strengthened, cabin soundproofing was increased, and the landing-gear retraction system was improved. A new series of interior layouts was offered: "Siesta" (47 passengers with increased luxury), "Intercontinental" (54–60 passengers), and "Inter-urban" (105 passengers). Each layout included reading lights at every seat. Forty-eight L-1049Cs were built and used by Eastern, TWA, Air France, KLM, Trans-Canada Air Lines, Qantas, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines, Avianca, Iberia, Línea Aeropostal Venezolana, and Cubana de Aviación.
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Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an American long-range airliner and a member of the Lockheed Constellation family. It was one of the most successful and widely used variants of the Constellation series, and was colloquially referred to as the "Super Connie".
The L-1049 was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner, first flying in 1950. The aircraft was produced for both the United States Navy as the WV / R7V and U.S. Air Force as the C-121 for transport, electronics, and airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Beginning in 1943, the company Lockheed planned stretched variants of the Constellation family. The first was the L-049 with a fuselage lengthened by 13 feet (4.0 meters) and the second the L-749 stretched 18 feet (5.5 meters).
Douglas launched a stretched version of its DC-6 airliner as a cargo transport, designated DC-6A, for both military and civilian operators. Douglas was soon to launch a passenger version (the DC-6B) of this new aircraft. The DC-6B could carry 23 more passengers than Lockheed's current production L-749 Constellation.
In 1950, Lockheed had repurchased the XC-69 Constellation prototype from the Hughes Tool Company. The XC-69 was equipped with four Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines instead of the Wright R-3350s used on production models. Lockheed had installed R-2800s on the prototype to test them as an option for the L-049. Lockheed stretched XC-69 by 18 ft (5.5 m), to become the basis for the L-1049 Super Constellation. The aircraft first flew in 1950, still fitted with R-2800 engines. It was then fitted with R-3350 956-C18CA-1 engines with jet stacks for slightly increased thrust.
Later modifications included strengthened landing gear and larger vertical stabilizers. Eastern Air Lines ordered 10 aircraft, while Trans World Airlines (TWA) followed with an order for 14. The L-1049 had some 550 improvements and modifications compared to the L-749, including greater fuel capacity, rectangular windows, larger cockpit windshields, and improved heating and pressurization.
In 1953, R-3350 Turbo-Compound engines became available for civil use. Lockheed incorporated them into the L-1049C, which first flew on February 17 of that year. The R-3350-972-TC18DA-1 turbo-compound engines on the L-1049C used a new turbine system, the Power Recovery Turbine (PRT) system. Each engine used three Power Recovery Turbines to extract the velocity component of the exhaust stream, rather than relying on exhaust expansion, and return the recovered energy mechanically to the crankshaft, increasing power by 550 hp (410 kW) without increasing fuel consumption and with no appreciable backpressure. One notable effect of the PRT installation was the visible exhaust flame, especially at night, caused by rich high-power operation and the concentrated discharge from the turbine exhaust outlets. Protective shielding and other detail changes were used to prevent heat damage to the nearby structure. The L-1049C had a higher cruising speed and climb rate.
Compared with the DC-6B, the L-1049C offered broadly comparable cruise performance, greater payload capability, and longer published range. The wings of the new model were strengthened, cabin soundproofing was increased, and the landing-gear retraction system was improved. A new series of interior layouts was offered: "Siesta" (47 passengers with increased luxury), "Intercontinental" (54–60 passengers), and "Inter-urban" (105 passengers). Each layout included reading lights at every seat. Forty-eight L-1049Cs were built and used by Eastern, TWA, Air France, KLM, Trans-Canada Air Lines, Qantas, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines, Avianca, Iberia, Línea Aeropostal Venezolana, and Cubana de Aviación.
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